Get Google Wallet on your Galaxy Nexus with no hackery required

Yeah, yeah. Google Wallet is not officially on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. We get that. We don't like it, but we get it. And we've been able to hack it on there easily enough. But what if you didn't have to actually hack it onto the phone? No rooting. Just a simple app install. That's now a reality, thanks to lukegb at XDA Developers.

The gist is that if you've got a Galaxy Nexus that hasn't had Google Wallet on it yet through the other methods, you should be able to simply install the apk, and everything's both hunky and dory. They're saying folks in the U.S. are having better luck with it than abroad, for whatever reason. And if the simple apk doesn't work, there's always the usual (and only slightly less easy) zip method.

There is, however, a slightly ethical gray area here in that once you've got Google Wallet on your phone, you've also got a free $10 prepaid MasterCard that you otherwise wouldn't have been entitled to. Just sayin'.

We've confirmed that this apk method works on both the GSM Galaxy Nexus as well as the Verizon Galaxy Nexus. Find it at the source link below.

I have a Sprint Nexus S 4g with a CDMA port of the GSM ICS 4.0.3, and Google Wallet is there, just when you open the app, a message pops up saying that "Google Wallet hasn't been certified in your country (not true, im in the US) or on your device (not true it's a nexus s 4g) / carrier (dang! I'm with Sprint)

I installed the .apk linked in the article and you still get the same message.

I have. It worked really well. One thing to keep in mind for people that may be trying it for the first time: The NFC is close to the bottom of the phone - I was holding the top close to the receiver and it didn't work. Also, even though the pre-paid card says debit on the card in the google wallet app, you use it like a credit card.

I really hope Verizon caves in on this. This would come in handy here in NYC....

I made a purchase at 7-Eleven at 2am right after I installed the app. The guy at the Cash register was dumb founded and thought I hacked his register or something, so then I had to explain it to him. Ofcourse he had an android so he was like how do I get it and he couldn't grasp the concept that his phone didn't have an NFC and it wouldn't work even if he could install the app.

After a spent a good chunk of Saturday rooting my Nexus, trying the flashing method of getting wallet on my phone, having it force close, having go through the app upgrade on every boot, trying a different version of Google Wallet, waiting for all my apps to be sent to the phone by Google, washing and repeating a couple of times just to find out that I couldn't add any funds to the Wallet that I installed..

I then find an article that says: oh, never mind about rooting, just side load this apk...

But in the end, I learned a lot about working with the dev kit, a lot about the recovery files on the phone and playing with ROMs, and in the end Wallet is up and running fine. Now to find someplace where I can use it in-store.

This is one of the features I wanted more than any on 4.0 - living in NYC, it's supported in a lot of places.

I guess the moral/ethical question isn't so much the $10, but whether or not you want to violate Google's terms of service rules. It stipulates that anyone who violates the TOS....well... I didn't read it all, but anyone who remembers people being banned on all google services for using a false name on G+, I'd hate to find out.

Downloaded, installed, but not setting up my account just yet.

If Verizon doesn't get their shit together and allow competition... I absolutely will.

Well, hopefully this will be useful some day. Looking at the Google Wallet site, I can't even find any of the merchants that support it that I even shop at. The zipcode search shows exactly one store in my area that I'd even be able to use it at.

I look forward to using this and ISIS, unless both will work with any system. In that case I only need one of them.

As far as the ethical question of the $10 offer, I think the point of the offer is that Google wants people to use Wallet and the $10 is the incentive. If people like it, they will recharge the card and Google will benefit from it. So what's the problem? Am I missing something?

I just installed it on mine (rooted with NFC enabled). It'll force close once loaded (unNamed ROM ver 1.31).

If anyone knows how to get it running on that I'd love to know. The program won't force close if you load it with NFC disabled, but it'll ask you to enable NFC. When you do, that's when it force closes. Installs fine via that link to the APK file.

It doesn't work on Sprint's Galaxy S II, the Epic 4G Touch (yes, I know that one doesn't even have NFC). It installs just fine, but when I run it a pop-up message tells me it's not certified for my phone and the app closes after I clear the message. Oh well, it was worth a shot.

I guess folks forget that Phil runs a business and that providing links that something that was not intended to provide any unintentional benefit to US users (after all, no US designated Galaxy Nexus comes with the Google Wallet as a native application right?) he is just covering himself legally by providing a disclaimer.

Ever watch a story on NBC and they are talking about a Universal Studios movie and provide a disclaimer that Universal is there Parent Company?

Same thing happens when ABC talks about ESPN or Disney. They remind of the relationship.

I guess the wording of "morality" is what is throwing people off here.

Personally, I could care less about Google Wallet. I like technology, but I'm not ready to have my credit card linked to a phone that might get lost or stolen easier than my wallet. But, that's just me!

Correct. I just installed it on my (big breath) Samsung Galaxy S II Sprint Epic 4G Touch (exhale) and, while it installed and started up without any issues, it popped up with a message saying that it was not certified for my device and promptly closed itself before I could do anything.

Download/install worked a snap for me. Note, you have to add a Google Prepaid card to get the free $10. I added my Citi Mastercard and expected to get some kind of notification from Google that I was entitled to $10, but you don't even have to do anything but add a Google Prepaid card.

Now to try it out. I wonder if this will work in places where my Amex NFC doesn't...

Here we go! Re-read my post if you need to. I just see the last part of the post by Phil as hypocritical. You know how he talks about the 10 bucks but still provides the link to get it. Furthermore, sir I already have the apk, but didn't have to get judged by the person who provided the link. So I would apperciate if you got of my back with all your STFU and whatnot.

Oh and I will pretend that Google doesn't make a profit for every transaction from the merchants each time I use Google Wallet from now to forever. Well over 10 bucks and worth the investment.

Verizon is flat out wrong for blocking the app. First of all, they are a utility using a public right of way and are under a semblance of obligation to act as a dumb pipe. Second, "any app on any device" clause of the spectrum license.

And thirdly, Verizon flat out lied that they were blocking Google Wallet and why.

They aren't blocking it, if it were truly blocked then installing a simple APK (even of the APK has been modified from the Google provided one) would not be able to get around it. They simply chose not to license it and weather you want to admit it or not that is their right as a company.

Google wallet is not free and is not a part of the Nexus. The only phone that has access to the Google Wallet is the SPRINT Nexus S which means that neither T-Mobile nor AT&T have it either.